RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM Lens from Canon With R5 Mark ii Mount Questions & Subject Suggestions

[Far-Out-Dude]

I am thinking of buying the  Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM Lens to use With my R5 Mark ii Mount but have  Questions & looking for ideas for indoor Subject Suggestions. 

I want to give background that I just spent two and a half months in the hospital and will not be able to leave the home for about 3 months other than doctors visits due to both physical issues and my friends did not turn in my license plates for me (Their vehicle but was in my name as they are Mennonite and I drive for them) the way they said they would so my license is suspended for 96 days. I had planned to buy a  Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L IS USM for Winter landscape but since I can't leave the house I want to try another interest.

My questions are mainly about mounting the lens, I use a Wimberly 200 gimble and am not sure I can use the Canon Tripod ring mount with the gimbal or not and I am also looking at a  7" Macro Focusing Rail from Oben as I understand are more precise than the ring would be? I am also looking at the Godox Ring72 Macro Ring LED Light and wonder if I am going overboard with all the extra stuff to start?

My other problem is most of my Macro interest has always been outdoors, what can I shoot indoors that could be interesting? Maybe a bug or two, coins, my eye if I can catch it at the right angle to catch the curve in it are what I am thinking so far, but what would be some other ideas? Also any advise given would be appreciated. This is going to help me learn my R5 Mark ii more as well.

[Far-Out-Dude]

Thank you very much, one quick question before I forget it, what are "Kenko tubes" I am guessing Kenko is a name brand so then the question would be what are tubes?

I normally shoot wildlife and landscape and agree the gimbals excel with those forms of photography and can understand why ball heads would be better for Macro. Currently my two tripods that came with heads are 

1. K&F Concepts TM2324 Tripod

2. SmallRig CT200 Lateral Center Column Aluminum Tripod with Monopod

will these suffice for starting out? I picked up the second as I have not been able to kneel or bend since 1988 but wanted to be able to shoot stuff closer to the ground, I have a Magnus GH-M1 Gimbal Head and have been using it with my M50 with lighter lenses so far. The Magnus was originally suggested to me but it did not do well with the 70-300mm lens (Lots of creep) I had at the time and that is why I upgraded to the Wimberly 200

[jrhoffman75]

The macro lens focuses to infinity. It just has the capability to focus very close. 

The Arca plate can be positioned parallel or perpendicular to the axis of the Iben device. I didn’t turn the lens hood around. You may have seen photos of the lens with hood installed in photo position. Lens hood isn’t needed for macro and also would interfere with close focus. 

[JFG]

Hi Far-Out-Dude,

Kenko is brand of extension tubes I use since canon has not yet come out with tubes for RF lenses.  Kenko tubes are made in Japan and are very highly rated due to their good value and functionality especially compared to more expensive brands like Canon.  Extension tubes are used in macro photography to increase magnification by reducing the minimum focusing distance of a lens.  They sit between the camera body and the lens, moving the lens farther from the sensor so you can focus much closer than normal.  They have no optics (they don't contain glass), so image quality isn't degraded.  Kenko makes RF Stackable Tubes that come in different lengths (e.g. 10mm and 16mm) that you can use independently or stacked, so 10mm will add magnification +0.10x and 16mm +0.16x together 26mm  +1.26x..  Bottom line:  With the Kenko Auto Extension Tubes, your RF100mm can realistically reach from +1:1x to +2.0x  in a controlled setup.  It's a cost-effective way to bridge the gap between your current RF100mm 1.4x and the more specialized and expensive high-magnification solutions.  You can also use the extension tubes with other RF non macro lenses allowing you to get closer to your subjects and often create macro-like images without the need for a dedicated macro-lens.

Yes, your K&F Concepts TM2324 Tripod and SmallRig CT200 Lateral Center Column Aluminum Tripod with Monopod are suitable for macro photography as they offer stability and flexibility in positioning your camera for close-up shots.  The K&F tripod in particular, features a center column inversion that allows for low-angle shooting, which is ideal for macro photography.  For someone with limited hand dexterity, the most recommended ball heads are those with large, ergonomic knobs or pistol-grip designs, since they reduce the need for fine finger control and allow easier adjustments with the whole hand.  Best on current reviews and ergonomic considerations you might want to look at the following: 

• Manfrotto 322RC Pistol Grip head:  A trigger-style control, reposition with one hand, very ergonomic.
• Vanguard GH-300T Pistol Grip head: Large grip, integrated shutter release option, designed for comfort.
• Sirui K-40X Ball Head:  Oversized knobs with smooth friction control, good for palm operation.
• Benro VX20 Ball Head: Dual panoramic controls, large knobs, simple quick-release system.
• Manfrotto XPRO Ball Head with Lever Release:  Arca-Swiss compatible lever clamp, less twisting  required.

I hope that the aforementioned answers your questions.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask as I will be more than happy to help and also provide new options to consider.

[Far-Out-Dude]

Thank you, I did not mean the lens hood but you were able to answer my question with your answer anyway. Also thank you for answering about the focus.

[Far-Out-Dude]

Thank you very much for taking the time to research that and lay all that information out for me.

I had always thought of the pistol grip heads as something a videographer would use so I stayed away from them as I don't even have the memory card in my R5 Mark ii for video as I never do video and did not do it on my M50 either. Tried some on my old GE X5 but that was going back quite some time and video is just not what I enjoy doing.

I will look into the price of the Kenko tubes on B&H if they carry them as well.

Thanks, I am hoping for shots of spiders and spiderwebs, if my body will let me safely go outside I want to try to catch the drip as it comes off an icecycle or pine needle/pine cone, but I will have to have somebody with me incase I fall. I have friends online that have caught snowflakes on glass with dark backgrounds but I am not fast enough for that even without the walker.

[JFG]

Hi Far-Out-Dude,

Pistol grip tripod heads are primarily designed for photography, not for videography. They excel at quick, one-handed repositioning of the camera, but they don't provide the smooth, controlled pans and tilts that videographers need.  The reasons why pistol grips work well for photography is because they provide the photographer with Fast framing, One-handed operation, Ergonomic design that reduces reliance on fine motor control compared to small knobs, Load capacity like the Manfrotto 327RC2 that can handle light to heavy telephoto set ups.  They are less suitable for videography because they don't have fluid motion which videographers rely on for fluid pans and tilts. Pistol grips lock quickly but don't glide.  They are also not ideal for controlled cinematic moves or tracking shots.  The best alternative for video are fluid heads or geared heads since they allow continuous, stable movement.   I, like you, don't shoot video with any of my cameras (my R5 Mark II and R6 Mark II or my M50 Mark II), I'am a photographer not a videographer or a hybrid photographer/videographer.  I use equipment that suit my needs, is fast to set up and allow me to focus on taking pictures.  In any case the information provided was simply to give you options.  We all know what is best for us and we all follow our own path.  "May the light always find your lens, and the wind be at your tripod's back."  May the macro road rise to meet you, and the bugs stay still long enough for stacking."  May the sun shine warm on your sensor, and the rain fall softly on your gear bag."  May your batteries be always charged, and your memory cards never full."  WindAtYourBackFocusOnTheStack.

[ebiggs1]

"I am thinking of buying the  Canon RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM Lens to use With my R5 Mark ii ..."

Of course I am all in for buying a new lens or lenses 😁 but if you have not done so, why not invest in a subscription to Photoshop. Learn how to use it. I will bet you will come to find out more can be done with PS than you can with the camera/lens. Alternatively you can d/l the free form Canon photo editing app DPP4 but it is no where as capable as PS.

Use the time you are in recovery mode to learn PS. There are tons of YouTube tutorials. Perhaps you are already a PS expert so you might want to enter the Adobe Beta testing offering of Photoshop. After recovery you will be in hog's heaven with your new photography skills. All the best to you, my friend.

[Far-Out-Dude]

I tend to use Lightroom much more, it is not because I think it is better, it is because all the controls on photoshop are so small that I simply can't see them. I have to lean all the way forward and get my face almost to my screen to see anything on it, Lightroom appears much larger by a long shot and I can use it. 

I wish there was a way to make PS bigger, I have looked it up online and had not luck. I also use Luminar Neo and find it much easier to see as well, though it is not nearly as capable as Lightroom. (I am not using Lightroom Classic)

[Far-Out-Dude]

I know part of it is my fault, I have had 5 surgeries on my eyes and now I have Glaucoma and it is having an affect, I was supposed to have my eyes checked by a specialist on August 4th but wound up in the hospital for two and half months starting on July 28th so I never made it, it has been rescheduled.  This area that is in orange should be filled with the picture, it is wasted space that would make it easier to see and the lettering for the tools needs to be easier to see.

[ebiggs1]

You can click the Panel Options menu (three little bars at the top of the Panels) to increase the thumbnail size. For a larger overall interface, go to Photoshop > Preferences > UI Scaling and choose a larger font size, too. You have to restart Photoshop for it to work.

Plus you can set high contrast mode in Windows.

As to the empty space around your image that is limited by the ratio of your image and the size of your monitor. Some measurements just will not work but in Photoshop you can always select Fit on Screen in the View drop down.

I, too, have a problem seeing tiny stuff so I got as big of a monitor as my desk would allow to fit. It is a 34". I also write music and if you want to talk tiny, music gets pretty small when you have a full concert band or orchestra score on screen.

Bottom line there are ways to make PS easier to see but keep in mind any app that is as capable and through as PS is going to be tiny in places because of all the content.